What should I do right after a car accident to protect my claim?

Question

Jeena Belil · Accepted Answer

This answer is for any resident in the state of New York

who is either driving and hit by an automobile

or even is a pedestrian or somebody riding a bike

that's hit by an automobile.

So the answer is a couple parts.

The first thing you should do after you get into

any kind of an accident to protect your rights

is to call the police.

If you think you are hurt,

it's also really a very good idea to call an ambulance.

You wanna be taken to a hospital just to get checked out.

Before the ambulance comes, and if you can,

try to get the insurance information

from the vehicle that hit you.

If you can't get it from the driver,

you can always ask the police to give you

that information report.

Also, don't forget to take photos, if you can,

of your vehicle, the other vehicle,

any damage that you see, and the roadway where the car is.

You wanna look for tire tracks.

You wanna look for pieces that are off any of the cars,

and also the position of both of the cars

or the position of the car and yourself.

The last thing you should do,

immediately call a personal injury attorney like myself.

After a car accident,

you start having to sign contracts right away.

If you have somebody like me on speed dial,

we can certainly talk you through your rights

and responsibilities even right after an accident.

Thanks so much.